welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >> officials who inspected fukushima's damaged nuclear plant say tepco's efforts to solve the crisis there are not good enough. tens of thousands of people have gathered in hiroshima to mark the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing. and a u.s. air force

helicopter crash in okinawa deepens concerns among residents who worry about the american military aircraft that crisscross their skies. officials appointed by the fukushima government have made an emergency visit to the damaged nuclear plant. they're investigating whether the operator of fukushima daiichi are doing enough to stop leaks of contaminated water, and they're unimpressed by what they found. the 22 officials are part of a council that's overseeing the decommissioning of the plant including municipal government staff and nuclear industry experts. the team inspected areas of the compound where contaminated ground water has been seeping into the sea. they assessed an underground tunnel that's believed to be filled with highly radioactive wastewater. officials then monitored work that's been done to reinforce embankments between the number two reactor and the sea.

crews constructed barriers to contain the water. several members of the team voiced frustration at the way tepco has been handling problems. they said the utility has been reacting to issues as they arise rather than taking preventive measures. >> translator: fishermen will never have peace of mind until we know for sure that the contaminated water has been contained. >> the plant chief promised to implement whatever steps are possible. he said he would try to see the situation from the perspective of the public. tepco admitted for the first time last month that contaminated groundwater is leaking into the sea. the vice governor of fukushima prefecture has asked the government to take the lead in handling the matter and stop the leakage. he told an official from the nuclear regulation authority that some of tepco's measures have increased the risk of further leaks.

the official said speed is the key to deal with the problem. the vice governor said the utility needs to do more. >> translator: the measures aren't enough to deal with the emergency situation. the government should make the first moves to handle the matter and produce results. that's what the people in fukushima are hoping for. >> tepco has taken steps to try and control the leakage of contaminated water but local officials say they need a sense of urgency. tokyo electric power company workers have constructed underground walls to prevent leaks, but the contaminated groundwater has been building up behind the walls and is starting to spill over. tepco managers say the workers will dig a well to pump out the water and temporarily store it in an underground facility. they had planned to start the job at the end of august, but officials with the nuclear regulation authority urged them to begin as soon as possible. on monday, tepco engineers detected high levels of

radioactive cesium in ground water in another area of the plant. they took the samples from a monitoring well near reactor two. highly radioactive water has been accumulating in the reactor's basement. tepco managers say they don't know what's causing the spikes. they say they'll do tests to find out how the radioactive water is spreading and what effects it's having on the environment. the people of hiroshima are remembering one of the most horrific days in history. 68 years ago, the crew of a u.s. plane dropped an atomic bomb on their city. it was the first time a nuclear device that had been used in an attack. the survivors are growing old and many are desperate to pass along their stories. nhk world's hiro morita reports from hiroshima. >> reporter: people from hiroshima perform this rite every year, gathering with visitors from around the world.

together, they reflect on the events for which this city is known. >> translator: we want to know more the reality of the atomic bombing, the thoughts of the survivors. we want to spread these ideas far and wide. >> reporter: more than 50,000 people attended the hiroshima peace memorial ceremony. they came to remember the day in 1945 when their city was destroyed. people here stop every year at 8:15 in the morning, the time the bomb was dropped. the bomb killed tens of thousands of people in an instant, 140,000 by the end of the year. the mayor of hiroshima placed a list of the victims in the vault, containing the names of

more than 5,800 people who died over the past year, all who are now known to have died because of the bombing. more than 280,000 people are now honored in the vault. >> translator: an atomic bomb steals the lives of innocent people. it permanently alters the lives of those who survive it. it stalks their bodies to the end of their days. the atomic bomb is the ultimate inhumane weapon, an absolute evil. >> reporter: matsui asked japanese officials to strengthen ties with other officials. prime minister shinzo abe says japanese have a duty as citizens of the only city to come under attack by atomic bombs. >> translator: we have a responsibility to make a world without nuclear weapons. >> reporter: but japanese

leaders have not been very cooperative. delegates from more than 70 countries met in april at a nuclear nonproliferation treaty conference in geneva. they agreed on a statement that called nuclear weapons inhumane. those from japan refuse to sign. still, survivors of the bombing of hiroshima believe if they share their experiences, people will join their push for a world free of nuclear weapons. >> translator: i hope that our experience and our wishes will be shared by the next generation and that they will work together to create a peaceful japan. >> reporter: they hope their stories will live on. hiro morita, nhk world, hiroshima. prime minister abe defended the government's position of refusing to sign the statement in geneva. he said japan is making its own

efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons. abe made the remarks after he attended the hiroshima peace memorial ceremony. >> translator: we regret that japan did not sign the statement, but we would like to continue looking for ways to include ourselves in efforts for nuclear disarmament. >> he also said japan is taking initiatives at the u.n. to curb the use of such arms. he said a resolution free of nuclear weapons was adopted last year at the general assembly. u.s. armed forced in japan have suspended flights of a model of helicopter that crashed in okinawa. one crew member is missing,

although search teams have found a body part. the japanese defense ministry asked for a suspension of flights pending the results of an investigation. >> translator: we want all helicopters to be grounded until the cause of the crash is determined and measures are taken to prevent a recurrence. >> u.s. air force helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of a marine base. three crew members were rescued. they strnt confirmed whether the body part found belongs to the fourth missing crew member. prefecture say the remaining eight ha-60 helicopters are stationed at the u.s. airbase also on the main island. military spokesperson say no decision has been made on when to resume flights. the japanese prime minister

called the crash extremely regrettable. he spoke with the u.s. ambassador to japan, john roos, effort be made to prevent future accidents. roos promised the u.s. will fully investigate the cause of the crash and provide information. a u.s. state department spokesperson also provided cooperation. >> our relationship with japan is a very close one and we will continue to work together on a variety of issues. >> a defense department official told nhk they were ordered to swiftly investigate because of the crash and work to prevent a recurrence. residents of okinawa have spent the last couple of years protesting against the deployment of another u.s. military aircraft, one with a spotty safety record. the tilt rotor osprey has been involved in a series of crashes outside japan. u.s. forces deployed 12 ospreys in okinawa last year to replace aging helicopters. they sent two more last weekend

and are planning to add another ten. protesters have been gathering at futenma air station to express their anger. the mayor of a town that hosts a major air force base says monday's crash will only strengthen local opposition. >> translator: after witnessing yet another accident, the people of okinawa won't accept any further deployment of osprey aircraft. >> u.s. military leaders in okinawa say they will postpone sending the next ten ospreys. they say they intend to carry out the deployment in the near future. people in myanmar are celebrating the 25th anniversary of a nationwide pro-democracy uprising. in august 1988 the government used force against protesters. now the leader is supporting the event organizers to show how far the country has progressed with democratization.

about 3,000 people attended the event in the country's largest city yangon. participants included those who joined the uprising and who now live political overseas as refugees. the leader of the uprising spoke of working with the government. >> translator: there's hope that there are some forces on the other side who are willing to work with us toward a goal that we all believe in. >> opposition leader aung san suu kyi will deliver a speech at the event that continues through thursday. a key indicator of japan's economy fell in june for the first time in seven months. but government officials say the decline is temporary. the cabinet office says the coincident index dipped 0.8

points from may to 105.2. that's against a base of 100 for the year 2010. the index reflects the current state of the economy and includes such factors as industrial output and employment. officials attribute the drop to the falling production and shipments of cars, semi-conductors for smartphones and components for tablets. another indicator the leading index stood at 107, down 3.7 points month on month. this index forecasts the economy a few months ahead. despite the declines in the two indices, officials note there is no change in their assessment that the economy continues to recover. they predict that the production of their cars among other goods is expected to increase in their next july survey. "the washington post" has been a journalistic icon in the you united states. now the ceo of i.t. giant amazon.com is buying the paper. many traditional u.s. print media have been the targets of acquisition in the age of the digital revolution.

"the washington post" has announced that amazon.com founder jeff bezos will buy the paper and its affiliated publications for $250 million. the "washington post" founded in 1877 has been hit by slumping advertising revenue and a loss of subscribers. bezos has said he will ask the "post" executives to remain with the paper. he has indicated that the internet will play a role in any management reforms he may carry out. he has also noted that the internet is transforming almost every aspect of the news business adding that he will need to experiment. the question now is whether the newspaper will be able to rebuild itself under bezos. executives at japanese electronics giant sony have rejected a proposal by a major shareholder to spin-off their entertainment arm. they say the bid is crucial for

the firm's growth. the executives made a decision an at extraordinary board meeting on monday. they sent a letter to notify a u.s. shareholder that proposed the break-up earlier this year. third point has been lobbying sony to sell the movie and music components of its business and some of its shares to rebuild its finances. analysts are watching to see how third point will respond to the decision. earlier in the program we showed you how people in japan commemorate a painful anniversary. the day the u.s. military dropped an atomic bomb on the city. later this week nagasaki will hold a service to remember the day it was bombed. outside of these cities though, awareness of the attacks is fading. members of a civic group in tokyo are trying to change that. nhk world shows us how. ♪

>> reporter: music to keep the memories alive. this pianist's improvisation was inspired not just by the atomic bombs but by the piano itself. made in the united states around 1920, this piano was in the city of hiroshima when the bomb exploded. it has been preserved just the way it was with shards of glass still he embedded in its wooden surface. >> translator: it really makes me feel as though the piano still remembers what happened that day. i hope my performance can convey that memory to everyone in the audience. >> reporter: a slide show tells the story of the piano and its young owner. akiko kawamoto was a 19-year-old

student living in hiroshima. she was born in 1926 in los angeles where her father was working at the time. the piano was bought to commemorate her birth. when akiko was 6, the family returned to japan together with the piano and settled in hiroshima. akiko loved playing the piano more than anything else. she often wrote about it in her diary. akiko was about one kilometer from the epicenter of the explosion working with a student mobilization core. she died a day later from radiation exposure. akiko's parents left her bedroom exactly the way it was when she was alive, including the piano. but recently akiko's brother entrusted it to a peace group so

that people could hear it actually being played. after hearing about the piano, we had had it brought to tokyo for the event on saturday. ♪ >> translator: it was as though he was having a conversation with akiko. i was thinking about the meaning of peace as i listened. >> it's so easy to forget things and i think hiroshima is something that we shall never forget, so we want to keep this event so that people would remember. >> reporter: miyuta wants

everyone to hear the message of peace and talk about it with others. he believes if nobody talks, then nothing changes. nhk world, tokyo. more than 2 million people in the u.s. spend their days behind bars. the annual price tag -- more than $70 billion. an increasing number of states are having difficulties covering the costs so they're coming up with ways to make prisoners pay their own way. nhk world reports. >> just want to make sure my information is correct. >> reporter: at first glance, this appears to be a typical call center. but outside the window is a barbed wire fence. everyone is wearing orange work clothes. this is a state-run prison in arizona and all of the workers

are inmates. many companies have been shifting their call centers overseas where costs are low, but there are no foreign accents here as the operators are all american. >> they come to work every day, focused on the work. the work is actually fun. we could take this group of people and turn it into a sales and marketing shift. >> reporter: the state of colorado is developing its prison business. this fish farm in a prison city grows 700,000 fish a year. the fish are cut into pieces and bagged at a plant on the premises and make the stickers indicating that the fish were prepared at the prison. the fish are then shipped to buyers which include restaurants. prisoners also make original motorbikes taking used motorcycles and designing them to the customer's order. >> never thought we'd be doing

that in here. but it's been real good. >> reporter: flower arrangements for wedding parties, computer repairs, and cattle breeding. the colorado prison system is involved in a total of about 60 businesses. let's look at how the businesses work. private sector companies set up offices and factories inside the prisons. they are staffed by inmates serving in good manners and those who are expected to be granted parole. the companies pay the prison facilities the minimum wage set by each state. prisons give some of the money received to inmates as wages and the remainder is used to cover operating costs. these types of businesses are now being carried out in 38 states creating an annual revenue of $2 billion. states are supporting such

businesses. in colorado, all office goods for state use must be purchased from firms that use prison workers. >> we try to build our business and pay for ourselves as we go. no tax support. >> reporter: one of the benefits these businesses have is a reduction in re-offending rates. in colorado, 32% of the people who do not work while in jail commit another crime after being released. on the other hand, among those who work for at least one year before release, the rate is 14%. that's less than half. >> that benefit typically is wage. but here the benefit is opportunity to have a greater chance of success once we get out so that there is no recidivism coming back. >> reporter: but some critics say cheap prison labor is negatively impacting private sector. this fish farm says that since

the prison began raising the same type of fish that he sells, prices have fallen by two-thirds and the sales have dropped just one-tenth of the previous figures. >> what they're doing is they're taking prisoners how to grow fish but when they get out of prison there's going to be no place for them to work because we're out of business. >> reporter: prison businesses have become a shadow labor force across america. what started as an answer to the problem of prison overcrowding and spiraling costs is now raising questions of its own. heavy rain hit tokyo. we have rachel ferguson from the weather team. rachel. hi there. yes, heavy rain has been affecting many parts of japan today. we'll show you some pictures of what was happening in tokyo before nightfall today. nagoya saw about 100 millimeters of rain in just a three-hour

period. fukushima also reports of homes damaged by heavy rain and flooding. has been quite a lot going on across the country today. wednesday looks like it is going to be a much clearer day. there will still be the potential to see some thunderstorms in the afternoon hours with daytime heating and we will see temperatures steadily building in toward the weekend as well. tokyo saturday and sunday looking for about 35 degrees on the thermometer but for the time being, wednesday will be a bit clearer so good news there. other parts of eastern asia not going to be so for nat. still heavy rain from northeastern china down to the southwest. very unstable. down toward the south as well, more rain but where it is not coming in is of just as much importance. we have extended drought conditions across the eastern and central parts of china, along with heat that just doesn't seem to cease at all. going back to the rain for a second, i want to tell you what's happening in the southern china -- south china sea.

heavy rain moving from hainan island into southwestern china. this is a tropical depression, you may see some strengthening with it. this is falling on already saturated land. last week another tropical system brought downpours to the same region so there will be the risk of flooding and landslides down toward the south. hot and dry in shanghai, as well as chongqing. seoul and tokyo partly cloudy with 33 degrees. on into europe. showers have been moving across much of the uk for the past several days. there's another system coming in now from the atlantic so after a break you are seeing showers come in again. the really intense stuff is going to be taking place from northern spain up through into southern portions of scandinavia. we've got this cold front that is bringing some very severe weather indeed. thunderstorms with thunder and lightning, very strong winds and even the potential for tornado here. especially where we're going to see the clash of cooler air out west.

then this heat coming up from the south and actually reaching up as far as poland. now i want to talk a little bit more about heat out here towards the southeast because we have some fire conditions as well. this is in greece. this is a suburb of athens. a fire ignited on monday and quickly spread due to strong winds and dry brush in the area. firefighters along with local residents teamed up to fight the blaze through the night. it was threatening many of the homes there. at least ten homes were destroyed but luckily there weren't any injuries reported. at first daylight ten firefighting planes and three helicopters joined in the assault of the fire helping extinguish it. summer wildfires are not uncommon in greece, and even at this time wildfires are continuing to affect the southeast, little bit further north in bosnia, having some problems with wildfire there. temperatures are going to continue to build into the

weekend. we've got 37 in vienna. croatia, portions of hungary, almost 40 degrees where out west it will be a cooling trend. here's your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

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♪ ♪ it's begun to feel like summer in asahikawa, hokkaido. this area of japan is unaffected by the rainy season. she has only once visited hokkaido in mid winter but the